Calanque de Sormiou
Sormiou is a wide calanque with a sand beach below a hamlet of cabanons that still have no running water or electricity. In 1942 Cousteau, Beuchat and Falco made their first tank dives here.
WhatCalanque, MarseilleCalanques
WhenJune to October17° in Nov
Getting there Bus On foot Car Boat45 min walk-in
CostPublic shoreFree
AccessRoad closed to cars on set summer dates; massif closed on red fire-risk days, June to September
- 14°J
- 13°F
- 13°M
- 14°A
- 16°M
- 19°J
- 21°J
- 23°A
- 21°S
- 19°O
- 17°N
- 15°D
Expect the sea at about 23 °C in August and 13 °C in February, going by the 1991 to 2020 averages. The swimming season runs from June to October.
Getting in
- Access
- The park gives about 45 minutes on foot from the bus stops, by the Col de Sormiou or the Col des Baumettes paths. On road-closure days the Ville de Marseille shuts the road to cars from 07:00 to 19:00, and the park points visitors to RTM buses 22 and 23. The beach is lifeguarded in the bathing season (2026: 29 May to 30 August, 11:00 to 18:30). From 1 June to 30 September the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture sets access to the Calanques massif day by day (order of 22 April 2025): green allows access, red bans it, and the map for the next day is published around 18:00.
- Public transport
- RTM bus 23 (direction Beauvallon) to La Cayolle, or RTM bus 22 to the Les Baumettes terminus, then about 45 minutes on foot over the Col de Sormiou or the Col des Baumettes.
- Also here
- Coastal walk
Cost and facilities
- Entry
- Free, public shore
- Official site
- calanques-parcnational.fr
- Facilities
- Lifeguard in seasonRestaurant